If you follow the procedure I mentioned above, you'll spend 5 minutes tops cleaning your SS cookware: boil some water in it, scrape up the browned bits, scrub with a soapy sponge, rinse and you're done. But those browned bits have a lot of flavor in them (the French call it fond), so consider learning how to make gravy or pan sauce from that rather than just throwing it away.

I've been collecting cookware for a long time now; I have enameled cast iron, raw cast iron, stainless steel and one non-stick pan I only use for eggs. I use raw cast iron for hamburgers, steaks and grilled cheese; SS for sauteeing, browning and making pan sauce; and enameled cast iron for braising, baking, soups and stews. I also have SS saucepans for making smaller batches of soups and sauces, such as spaghetti, and aluminum baking sheets for roasting, baking, etc.

When you choose the right tool for the right job and learn how to use it the right way, it all works out fine

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__________________The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again. ~ George Miller

When you choose the right tool for the right job and learn how to use it the right way, it all works out fine

hey Chris I think G.G. is making the point here. No one type of cookware is all purpose (if they claim to be it is marketing not reality) different pans do different jobs better. This is why buying a variety of cookware rather than a set will ultimately serve you best. Any set of all one type will end up disappointing at one task or another.

I have a lot of cookware... ss, copper, enameled cast iron, raw cast iron, glass, stoneware. All of it at least reasonable quality some of it very good. 2 things I did not do were spend a lot of money or buy it all at once. I bought as needed to make things I wanted to make and always looked for deals.

From your list

Steak and hamburgers and grilled chicken are a natural for a Cast Iron skillet or grill pan... non stick or even SS or anodized will not do this as well. Get your skillet well seasoned and it will require virtually no cleaning after a quick grill

Spaghetti... pretty much any stock pot can boil water your choice here... but for making rich thick spaghetti sauce you want either a enameled Cast Iron or a Heavy SS saucepan that will allow you to heat evenly for long periods of time and not react with the acidity of tomatoes. For a quick fresh tomato sauce a SS saute pan will work great.

Rice... I use a rice cooker because It is one of the things I tend to ruin but a good quality saucepan will work... here you might want to go with non-stick.

Gravy if you are making your own you want a bit of sticking so you can deglaze the fond this is what makes it tasty... a good SS or anodized will work as will a well seasoned raw or enameled CI skillet. Non stick not the best for gravy

Teriaki chicken... my choice would be enameled-CI or SS and soak the thing but this may be another place where you choose Non Stick

Pancho, you did a great job of breaking it down for OP!
Chris, important things to remember when cleaning your cookware:
1. never put stainless steel or cast iron into the dishwasher. If you get restaurant grade aluminum, you can use the dishwasher, but not for anything else.
2. Put some dish soap and water into the pan soon after you are finished cooking (not when it's still steaming, tho). You will find there will be less sticking. Get yourself one of those plastic scrubbies (Dobie Pad is one brand) for removing stubborn stickers.
3. Never use steel wool on good cookware. It will scratch it and then everything will stick.

I have a nice SS pan and after I scrape up all the nice gooey bits for pan sauces, it can be discolored for me. I use a paste of baking soda and a sponge and it shines it up like new. If that is a bad idea, anyone feel free to let me know in case I'm doing damage to the pan.

I have a nice SS pan and after I scrape up all the nice gooey bits for pan sauces, it can be discolored for me. I use a paste of baking soda and a sponge and it shines it up like new. If that is a bad idea, anyone feel free to let me know in case I'm doing damage to the pan.

My SS tri-ply calphalon pan is very difficult to keep clean, even if I do something simple like make a sauce in it, that should not leave any residue, it does. After EVERY use, I have to scrub it out with barkeepers friend or my ceramic range cleaner + the scrubby side of a sponge to remove the dull residue from it. It doesn't go in the dishwasher for this reason, which is ridiculous.

IMO, one of the major reasons for food sticking to the pan is hot spots, which generally indicate a lightweight pan. I have not seen the cookware at Sams, but have looked at Costco's. It seemed to me to be of a reasonable quality for the price. I definitely would buy a couple of pieces and add when desired. Get cookware with metal handles. They will go from the stovetop to the oven.

"There is nothing unhealthy about teflon as long as it is used properly. That just means you can't heat it to extreme temps. You would have to actually try to heat to extreme temps as normal cooking would not accomplish that. Teflon is a great and safe way to cook and not have things stick."

GB hit the nail on the head with his post.Thanks for writing so positively about Teflon - I have to admit, speaking on behalf of DuPont, it's good to see people speaking out about the misconceptions associated with Teflon.Cooks in more than 40 countries around the world have purchased and used billions of pots and pans with DuPont non-stick coatings and The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that DuPont non-stick coatings for cookware are acceptable for conventional kitchen use.

If anyone is interested in more information, or just some great recipes, check out http://www.teflon.com